Farting on the Wards

[Gute]

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Extremely embarrassing, but an unexpected fart slipped, before I could tighten the sphincter, while we rounded in a patient's room. No one said anything after, but I felt like a child and was quite embarrassed given the unprofessionalism of it all. Luckily, it wasn't stinky or a shart, but the noise was quite distinct and the patient stared at me with a look of utter disgust.

I've noticed that I have had much more gas since starting 3rd year and at times I feel bloated despite not having any other weird changes in my bowel habits. I don't know if its all the boxed lunches, all the walking and standing, or the inability to sit down for a good old meeting with porcelain John in the middle of three hour-long rounds (and no, I didn't need to go around the time this happened).

 

[277768]

Extremely embarrassing, but an unexpected fart slipped, before I could tighten the sphincter, while we rounded in a patient's room. No one said anything after, but I felt like a child and was quite embarrassed given the unprofessionalism of it all. Luckily, it wasn't stinky or a shart, but the noise was quite distinct and the patient stared at me with a look of utter disgust.

I've noticed that I have had much more gas since starting 3rd year and at times I feel bloated despite not having any other weird changes in my bowel habits. I don't know if its all the boxed lunches, all the walking and standing, or the inability to sit down for a good old meeting with porcelain John in the middle of three hour-long rounds (and no, I didn't need to go around the time this happened).

 

[tkim]

Hospital stairways are your friends ... the echo is quite lovely at 3am.

 

[Gute]

Hospital stairways are your friends ... the echo is quite lovely at 3am.

👍 I've actually been using the stairways to relieve myself. The echo is also great at 3pm. However, this has not prevented this unfortunate incident outlined in the first post.

 

[BlueElmo]

😆. Can't help it.

 

[orthomyxo]

Extremely embarrassing, but an unexpected fart slipped, before I could tighten the sphincter, while we rounded in a patient's room. No one said anything after, but I felt like a child and was quite embarrassed given the unprofessionalism of it all. Luckily, it wasn't stinky or a shart, but the noise was quite distinct and the patient stared at me with a look of utter disgust.

I've noticed that I have had much more gas since starting 3rd year and at times I feel bloated despite not having any other weird changes in my bowel habits. I don't know if its all the boxed lunches, all the walking and standing, or the inability to sit down for a good old meeting with porcelain John in the middle of three hour-long rounds (and no, I didn't need to go around the time this happened).

HAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ariee]

👍 I've actually been using the stairways to relieve myself. The echo is also great at 3pm. However, this has not prevented this unfortunate incident outlined in the first post.

Rx=Gas-X; The pressure's off
http://www.gas-x.com/

& all the other common sense stuff, such as: no soda pops, if you're addicted, pour it in a glass with no lid, let the gas diffuse, stay away from fruits and vegetables when you're at work...etc

Addendum:
What causes Gas?


Common causes of gas and bloating include:

• Swallowed air. If swallowed air is not burped up, it passes through the digestive tract and comes out through the anus as flatus.
• Consuming non-digestible foods.
• Eating foods containing fiber.
• Eating foods that the body cannot tolerate (such as in the case of lactose intolerance which happens when you lack the enzyme that digests lactose).
• Eating foods such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, and bran.
• Malabsorption (which occurs when your intestine is not able to absorb certain nutrients), often occurs concurrently with diarrhea.
• Medicines or nutritional supplements. Both prescription and nonprescription medicines, and dietary supplements, can cause bloating and gas.
• Medical conditions, such as a bowel obstruction or Crohn's disease.
• Changes in hormone levels. For example, it is common for women to have bloating right before their periods.

Tips to help reduce Gas:

• Increase the amount of fluid you drink, particularly water. Avoid carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
• Avoid foods that cause gas, such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, and bran.
• Avoid swallowing air. Swallowing air may increase your symptoms.
• Eat slowly. When you rush through meals, you are more likely to swallow air.
• Chew your food thoroughly.
• Avoid drinking with a straw.
• Avoid chewing gum or eating hard candy.
• Do not smoke or consume other tobacco products.
• If you wear dentures, check with a dentist to make sure they fit adequately.
• Keep calm. Tension can cause you to swallow air.
• Exercise regularly.

How is gas treated?

Taking over the counter remedies like Gas-X® is an effective way to reduce the pressure, bloating, and discomfort of gas. Other ways to help reduce your gas are by changing your diet and reducing the amount of air swallowed.
As always, if you have prolonged periods of gas and discomfort or if you have further questions, please consult with your physician.

 

[DrWBD]

http://www.salon.com/health/feature/2000/02/24/farts/

😀

 

[Deferoxamine]

I've definitely ripped a few here and there. Try to budget them so that you can let them fly when you're walking quickly in the hallways and where everything is way more noisy.

 

[lapelirroja]

http://www.salon.com/health/feature/2000/02/24/farts/

😀

Wow, that article, just wow!

 

[DrWBD]

Wow, that article, just wow!

Interesting factoid - Dr. Levitt's son is Steven Levitt, the author of Freakonomics. He occasionally mentions his father's work on his blog.

 

[turkeyjerky]

Interesting factoid - Dr. Levitt's son is Steven Levitt, the author of Freakonomics. He occasionally mentions his father's work on his blog.

He is not nearly as funny or interesting in real life as you'd expect from the world's foremost authority on flatulence.

 

[Cruzinman]

If you rip one in the OR during a GI case you must fess up; otherwise they might worry they nicked the bowel.

 

[Isoprop]

awesome

 

[Black Adder]

If you rip one in the OR during a GI case you must fess up; otherwise they might worry they nicked the bowel.

That happened on an episode of Scrubs..

 

[JStub]

Looool !

 

[juiceman311]

Rx=Gas-X; The pressure's off
http://www.gas-x.com/

& all the other common sense stuff, such as: no soda pops, if you're addicted, pour it in a glass with no lid, let the gas diffuse, stay away from fruits and vegetables when you're at work...etc

Addendum:
What causes Gas?


Common causes of gas and bloating include:

• Swallowed air. If swallowed air is not burped up, it passes through the digestive tract and comes out through the anus as flatus.
• Consuming non-digestible foods.
• Eating foods containing fiber.
• Eating foods that the body cannot tolerate (such as in the case of lactose intolerance which happens when you lack the enzyme that digests lactose).
• Eating foods such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, and bran.
• Malabsorption (which occurs when your intestine is not able to absorb certain nutrients), often occurs concurrently with diarrhea.
• Medicines or nutritional supplements. Both prescription and nonprescription medicines, and dietary supplements, can cause bloating and gas.
• Medical conditions, such as a bowel obstruction or Crohn's disease.
• Changes in hormone levels. For example, it is common for women to have bloating right before their periods.

Tips to help reduce Gas:

• Increase the amount of fluid you drink, particularly water. Avoid carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
• Avoid foods that cause gas, such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, and bran.
• Avoid swallowing air. Swallowing air may increase your symptoms.
• Eat slowly. When you rush through meals, you are more likely to swallow air.
• Chew your food thoroughly.
• Avoid drinking with a straw.
• Avoid chewing gum or eating hard candy.
• Do not smoke or consume other tobacco products.
• If you wear dentures, check with a dentist to make sure they fit adequately.
• Keep calm. Tension can cause you to swallow air.
• Exercise regularly.

How is gas treated?

Taking over the counter remedies like Gas-X® is an effective way to reduce the pressure, bloating, and discomfort of gas. Other ways to help reduce your gas are by changing your diet and reducing the amount of air swallowed.
As always, if you have prolonged periods of gas and discomfort or if you have further questions, please consult with your physician.

-10 points for you for ruining a beautiful thing with science. Can a man not fart without thinking about it's etiology?

 

[TopSecret]

Extremely embarrassing, but an unexpected fart slipped, before I could tighten the sphincter, while we rounded in a patient's room. No one said anything after, but I felt like a child and was quite embarrassed given the unprofessionalism of it all. Luckily, it wasn't stinky or a shart, but the noise was quite distinct and the patient stared at me with a look of utter disgust.

I've noticed that I have had much more gas since starting 3rd year and at times I feel bloated despite not having any other weird changes in my bowel habits. I don't know if its all the boxed lunches, all the walking and standing, or the inability to sit down for a good old meeting with porcelain John in the middle of three hour-long rounds (and no, I didn't need to go around the time this happened).

Okay, first of all, 😆.

Secondly, you might be lactose intolerance.

 

[basupran]

If you rip one in the OR during a GI case you must fess up; otherwise they might worry they nicked the bowel.

This happened to a friend actually. What would you do?


MS3 accidentally passes gas during exploratory laparotomy
MS3 is an aspiring surgeon and knows the importance of clerkship grade
attending/resident pick up on the odor
attending panics and starts to look for iatrogenic colonic perforation

As the medical student, do you say something or just keep retracting?

 

[AlexMorph]

This happened to a friend actually. What would you do?


MS3 accidentally passes gas during exploratory laparotomy
MS3 is an aspiring surgeon and knows the importance of clerkship grade
attending/resident pick up on the odor
attending panics and starts to look for iatrogenic colonic perforation

As the medical student, do you say something or just keep retracting?

depends on how much of a gunner you are.

if you want the grade that badly, let the surgeon search.
if not, own up.

the attending's personality should also be taken into account, sometimes, he/she might be ok with it or let it slide...just like the ms3 lets the fart slide

 

[Gute]

Okay, first of all, 😆.

Secondly, you might be lactose intolerance.

no, not lactose intolerant, I can ingest a large volume of cheese, milk, and ice cream without experiencing diarrhea.

 

[docjulian]

http://www.humorscore.com/videos/Family_Guy_Videos/Family_Guy_-_Fart_Cover_Up

 

[barasch]

at the risk of succumbing to troll bait...

there are plenty of bad smells in the hospital - noise, however, can be distracting and embarassing.

do your best and use common sense.

eat lightly before rounds.

If you're a real med student - don't sweat it, your career will recover this hilarious embarassment.

If you're a troll - congrats for baiting me from my lurking

 

[Emerald84]

Rx=Gas-X; The pressure's off
http://www.gas-x.com/

& all the other common sense stuff, such as: no soda pops, if you're addicted, pour it in a glass with no lid, let the gas diffuse, stay away from fruits and vegetables when you're at work...etc

Addendum:
What causes Gas?


Common causes of gas and bloating include:

• Swallowed air. If swallowed air is not burped up, it passes through the digestive tract and comes out through the anus as flatus.
• Consuming non-digestible foods.
• Eating foods containing fiber.
• Eating foods that the body cannot tolerate (such as in the case of lactose intolerance which happens when you lack the enzyme that digests lactose).
• Eating foods such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, and bran.
• Malabsorption (which occurs when your intestine is not able to absorb certain nutrients), often occurs concurrently with diarrhea.
• Medicines or nutritional supplements. Both prescription and nonprescription medicines, and dietary supplements, can cause bloating and gas.
• Medical conditions, such as a bowel obstruction or Crohn's disease.
• Changes in hormone levels. For example, it is common for women to have bloating right before their periods.

Tips to help reduce Gas:

• Increase the amount of fluid you drink, particularly water. Avoid carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
• Avoid foods that cause gas, such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, and bran.
• Avoid swallowing air. Swallowing air may increase your symptoms.
• Eat slowly. When you rush through meals, you are more likely to swallow air.
• Chew your food thoroughly.
• Avoid drinking with a straw.
• Avoid chewing gum or eating hard candy.
• Do not smoke or consume other tobacco products.
• If you wear dentures, check with a dentist to make sure they fit adequately.
• Keep calm. Tension can cause you to swallow air.
• Exercise regularly.

How is gas treated?

Taking over the counter remedies like Gas-X® is an effective way to reduce the pressure, bloating, and discomfort of gas. Other ways to help reduce your gas are by changing your diet and reducing the amount of air swallowed.
As always, if you have prolonged periods of gas and discomfort or if you have further questions, please consult with your physician.

**That is so nice of you to post!

 

[Gute]

eat lightly before rounds.

no time to eat before rounds. Its hard enough to get there on time, much less on time with a breakfast

 

[Gute]

Wait until you're in the ICU to drop it, the patients there can't deny doing it.

I don't have much ICU exposure yet, but aren't those patients all severely constipated?

 

[psychbender]

Duder, you have to own that ****.

Gas Gas Gas!

 

[Steiner]

If I'm there with you, high-five me.

 

[BitingPlates]

Duder, you have to own that ****.

Gas Gas Gas!

Haha. I haven't seen that picture since I was in the Marines.

 

[Law2Doc]

I don't have much ICU exposure yet, but aren't those patients all severely constipated?

Nah, half have c diff from overuse of antibiotics.

 

[Gute]

Nah, half have c diff from overuse of antibiotics.

do they get an anal foley or what?

 

[psychbender]

do they get an anal foley or what?

Sometimes, yes. Its called a rectal tube, and it rarely works properly (there is nearly always residual leakage/spillover.

 

[njac]

crop-dusting. It's your friend.

 

[njac]

Not if their intern is on the ball.

agreed - make sure everyone is on a bowel regimen!!!!!

 

[Gute]

Sometimes, yes. Its called a rectal tube, and it rarely works properly (there is nearly always residual leakage/spillover.

how do nurses put up with all that crap?

 

[Brain]

You can always take Turk's approach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWYVayn4CfM

 

[cpants]

I actually find it easier to rip em on rotation. It always smells like poop in the hallway anyway. Everyone just assumes a pt. is using the bedpan. Just make sure to keep them SBD.

 

[Bito42]

it happens. you're prob not used to eating all the noon conference meals they give you.

 

[ucsfstudents]

Wow, you just made my day. That was hilarious!
I say just laugh it off... it happens.

 

[riceman04]

Extremely embarrassing, but an unexpected fart slipped, before I could tighten the sphincter, while we rounded in a patient's room. No one said anything after, but I felt like a child and was quite embarrassed given the unprofessionalism of it all. Luckily, it wasn't stinky or a shart, but the noise was quite distinct and the patient stared at me with a look of utter disgust.

I've noticed that I have had much more gas since starting 3rd year and at times I feel bloated despite not having any other weird changes in my bowel habits. I don't know if its all the boxed lunches, all the walking and standing, or the inability to sit down for a good old meeting with porcelain John in the middle of three hour-long rounds (and no, I didn't need to go around the time this happened).

😆🤣

comedy

 

[rahulb]

my farts dont smell or make noise

i basically walk around all day farting on people

 

[Steiner]

my farts dont smell or make noise

That might be the saddest thing I've ever heard

 

[iatros]

...It always smells like poop in the hallway anyway. Everyone just assumes a pt. is...

you can ALWAYS blame it on a patient

but next time: put your hands behind your back like you're respectfully paying attention, lift an asscheek and let it slide out quietly. make sure you mutter something about letting the nurse know the patient may have had a BM.

 

[Lamotrigine]

I go in to the supply room and pretend I have to get steri strips for post op work.. TOOT works like a charm everytime

 

[ringerslactate]

you can ALWAYS blame it on a patient

but next time: put your hands behind your back like you're respectfully paying attention, lift an asscheek and let it slide out quietly. make sure you mutter something about letting the nurse know the patient may have had a BM.

LOL that technique is foolproof - my favorite, esp. when i can't cropdust because we're in the middle of a presentation or something

 

[fMRI]

While shadowing, our team had an extremely gassy patient who denied his issue. The attending walked in, asked him right away and he exclaimed "no, it's you who stinks that bad".

I faked a coughing attack and ROFLed in the hallway.

 

[Knicks]

5-star thread.

Would read again.

 

[indo]

5-star thread.

Would read again.

Was that rating meant for Amazon.com?

 

[AZhopeful]

I was in the OR on a 4-hour case that turned into 8 hours thanks to some unfortunate events. After the first few hours I didn't even think twice about letting the silent ones fly.

One problem:
My sterile gown does a really good job of stopping air flow. There are two ways for that fart to go: down, or up(as in straight up to the little space between my surgical mask and my skin where air comes in and out). Basically, the gown was a big sterile fart smokestack. Every time I farted, I was ruthlessly exposed to my own vileness.

Ahhh, the anonymity of the internet.

 

[abbottje]

you can ALWAYS blame it on a patient

but next time: put your hands behind your back like you're respectfully paying attention, lift an asscheek and let it slide out quietly. make sure you mutter something about letting the nurse know the patient may have had a BM.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA teach on wise one! Clearly experienced here!